Publisher: change print area to remove gutter?

[june_g]

I've set up a print document as spreads, with wider inner margins to account for the gutter, but I'd also like to create a digital version of the document where the page is slightly narrower to remove that extra gutter margin, so the margins are equal on the left and right sides of each page. Is there a way for me to change the printable dimensions to remove a specific amount from the inner edge of each page? I've tried changing the dimensions in Document Setup, but I can't see how to 'cut off' part of the inner edge (i.e. maintain the existing margin at the left edge of the even pages and the right edge of the odd pages). Is there a way to do this, please?

[MikeTO]

Hi @june_g and welcome to the forums. Assuming you used master pages and placed your text frames on the master page:

1. Choose Document Setup. 
2. On the Dimensions tab, deselect the Link icon and change the page width.
3. On the Scaling tab, select Anchor to Page and click the top-left corner anchor.
4. On the Margins tab, deselect the Link icon and change the margins so they're equal on the left and right.
5. Click OK - the left pages will now be correct, the right pages will be offset by the reduced margin
6. Go to the master page and move the text frame to align to the margins - all the pages based on this master page will be updated.

Cheers

[june_g]

Thanks, Mike! Unfortunately, although I did use master pages, my page layout is complex and filled with multiple images, sidebars, etc that aren't part of the main text frame, so that's not going to work in this instance - I wonder if there's a different way to accomplish this. (It's a 200 page document, so I'm desperately hoping I won't have to select every element on every right-hand page and shift them all manually...)

[MikeTO]

1 hour ago, june_g said:

Thanks, Mike! Unfortunately, although I did use master pages, my page layout is complex and filled with multiple images, sidebars, etc that aren't part of the main text frame, so that's not going to work in this instance - I wonder if there's a different way to accomplish this. (It's a 200 page document, so I'm desperately hoping I won't have to select every element on every right-hand page and shift them all manually...)

I can't think of a good solution. If you use anchor to spread instead of anchor to page you could make either the left or right page perfect but not both. That would cut in half what you have to fix up manually.

For next time you might want to consider either pinning the sidebar content into the main text frame, or as I've done with the Publisher manual I've uploaded to the forum (click the link in my signature block), use the Sidenote feature.

The manual I created has mirrored margins even though it's a PDF because I intended it as a demonstration of creating printed manuals.

Cheers,

Mike

[thomaso]

If you use APub V2 then their might be this workaround: As far I have seen it is possible in V2 to select multiple objects on several spreads at the same time.

1. Zoom out to show all spreads.
2. With the Move Tool drag-select all objects on the right pages.
3. Move them as wanted.

In APub V1 there might be another, bit complex workaround: The "Spread setup…" does not offer the option to affect selectively either odd or even pages only, the two pages of a spread in APub must not have different sizes. The Master Page apply option appears to be able to distinguish between odd and even pages.

So, if you can separate the spreads without massive loss (objects placed across both pages of a spread) then there might be a way to achieve this in several steps.

1. Switch the document from facing to single pages in the "Document setup".
2. Change an existing or create a new Master Page with the required size (<-> the value you want to shift all objects on the right pages)
3. Use the "Apply master…" option (right click on a master) to apply this master page to odd pages only (to affect the formerly right pages).
4. In the appearing dialog confirm to adjust the page size.
5. In the "Spread Setup…" reset the modified pages to their initial size and set the anchor accordingly to ensure the pages gets increased at the wanted edge and thus the objects will get moved as wanted.
6. Reset the document to facing page spreads.

I must admit I haven't tried this workflow in Affinity but I used it in ID to shift objects on all odd or even pages – while there the entire workflow is shorter since the pages of a spread may have different sizes. Affinity requires the workaround via a Master page to affect page sizes of odd/even pages separately.

[june_g]

On 10/2/2023 at 6:21 PM, thomaso said:

If you use APub V2 then their might be this workaround: As far I have seen it is possible in V2 to select multiple objects on several spreads at the same time.

1. Zoom out to show all spreads.
2. With the Move Tool drag-select all objects on the right pages.
3. Move them as wanted.

Thank you so much, thomaso. I do use V2 (upgraded on the day it was released!) - I've just tested this and it looks like it'll do exactly what I want with minimal extra work: I'll use Mike's tip to align the left pages correctly, and then batch select multiple right pages at once and transform them by the mm offset I need as you suggested.

Lesson learned... I didn't realise this would be an issue when designing simultaneously for both a print and ebook edition of a book, but I'll know better for future projects. 

Thank you both for helping me figure this out!

Edited October 4, 2023 by june_g